Composite article of furniture



March 19, 1963 v 5.5.51 3,082,034

COMPOSITE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Dec. 22, 1960 INVENTOR Benz/4416767414? L /e 45L...

ATTORNEY being affixed to the other of said posts.

United States tent 3,082,034 COMPOSITE ARTKCLE OF FURNITURE Bertram S. Silver, 150 Central Park 5., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 77,767 Claims. (Cl. 297135) The present invention relates generally to improvements in furniture. In particular, it relates to an improved composite article of furniture.

-It has long been a problem, as in public places for example, to maintain complementary articles of furniture, such as magazine racks, cocktail and coffee tables and chairs, in desirably associated positions. This is particularly true in such places as lobbies, lounges, restaurants, Waiting rooms and the like, where racks, tables and chairs are grouped and where they must be properly relatively located to afford maximum efficiency. The same problem exists also in the case of private areas. While it is sometimes the custom to semi-permanently aflix the associated articles of furniture to the floor or otherwise to overcome the above difficulties, such solutions are entirely unsatisfactory since they lack flexibility and versatility and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide animproved article of furniture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved composite article of furniture.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved combined chair and complementary article of furniture which may be readily semi-permanently associated and .disassociated, and in which the complementary article and chair may be. separately and individually employed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved combined table and chair which are easily adjustable relative to each other.

-Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved composite article of furniture of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity, versatility, low cost and attractive appearance.

The "above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a composite article of furniture embodying the present invention and illustrated in assembled condition;

FIGURE Z is a front perspective enlarged detailed fragmentary view thereof in disassembled condition;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a front perspective enlarged fragmentary detailed View of another embodiment of the present invention illustrated in assembled condition.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved composite article of furniture comprising a chair unit including a first-frame member having a first vertical cylindrical leg-defining post, a complementary furniture unit including a second frame member having a second vertical cylindrical post disposed adjacent to saidfirst post, a pair of vertically spaced collars rotatably registering with one of said posts and According to a preferred form of the present inven tion, the frame members are of identical construction and may be associated relativelyvertically oriented in the same or opposite directions and each includes a platform or shelf section defined by a pair of centrally intersecting similar diagonal member-s which are rigidly connected to each other. The posts,*which are of circular configuration, proiect from the free ends of the diagonal members and are perpendicular to the plane thereof and include oppositely directed relatively long main leg sections and relatively short auxiliary leg sections. In the chair member the main leg sections may depend from the diagonal members, and in the complementary article of furniture, which is in the form of a magazine rack, the main leg sections may project upwardly and the auxiliary leg sections project downwardly. A sea-t member rests on and is supported by the chair platform and an open topped vertically partitioned box rests on and is secured to the platform of the complementary frame member. The coupling members connecting the adjacent posts of the frame members each includes a pair of collars secured to each other along their peripheral surfaces and registering with corresponding posts. A look screw engages a tapped radial bore formed in one of the collar members to lock it releasably to the post.

It is important to note that by reason of the above frame construction, the article of furniture may be employed for achair, a magazine rack, table hassock, foot rest or other article of furniture which may be mutually complementary and may be easily and readily separab'ly connected by the aforementioned coupling elements. For example, in accordance with another form of the present invention, the complementary article of furniture is a cocktail table wherein the frame members are both upright and the tabletop is mounted on the diagonals of one of the frame members.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 3 thereof, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to a composite chair and magazine rack, reference numeral 10 generally designates a chair unit while reference numeral 11 designates a complementary magazine rack unit. Bot-h chair unit 10 and magazine 11 include frame members of similar construction each of which consists of a platform defined by a pair of intersecting diagonal strips or bars 12 of the same size and of rectangular transverse cross-section. Diagonal bars 12 cross each other at their midpoints and are suitably rigidly interconnected.

Fastened to the free end of each of bars 12 is a vertical post 13 which projects above and below the respec ti-ve cross bars to delineate main, relatively long, leg sections 14 and auxiliary, relatively short, leg sections 16. Bars 12 may be formed of metal, Wood or other suitable material, and posts 13 may be rods or tubes likewise formed of metal, wood or other suitable material.

When employed in the chair unit 10, frame member 12 is oriented with main legs 14 being lowermost and depending from the ends of the diagonal bars 12. A seat member 17 of any desired construction rests upon and is afinred to the diagonal bars 12 and is provided with an upwardly directed back rest 18. It should be noted that the top face of seat member 17 is at a level above the plane of the free ends of the auxiliary legs 16.

The frame member as employed in the magazine rack unit 11 is inverted relative to chair unit employed frame member with auxiliary legs 16 thereof being directed downwardly and the main legs 14 being directed upwardly. A rectangular, open-topped receptacle or box 19 rests on and is secured to the diagonal bars 12 and lies within the space delineated by the frame leg sections 14. A plurality of transversely spaced laterally extending partitions 2i divides box 19 into a number of compartments.

Chair 10 and auxiliary furniture unit 11 are swingably connected by a pair of coupling members 21 which engage a pair of adjacent leg sections 14 at'vertica-lly spaced corresponding points. Each coupling member 21 includes a pair of collar elements 22 and 23 arranged substantially side by side and rigidly joined, as by welding or the like, indicated at 21A. Collar member 23 has a tapped radial bore formed in the wall thereof at a point spaced about 135 from the point of connection to the collar 22. A set screw 25 engages the tapped radial bore.

In assembling furniture units and 11, a pair of coupling members are affixed to a chair leg 14 at vertically spaced points by bringing collars 23 into registry with leg 14 and then tightening the set screws 25, the associated collar elements 22 projecting laterally from the chair unit 10. The chair unit 10 is raised, and then lowered to bring a leg 14 of magazine rack unit 11 into sliding rotatable registry with coupling member collars 22, thereby to effect the assembly of the furniture units 10 and 11.

In FIGURE 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated a composite furniture assembly similar to that previously described except that the magazine rack unit 11 is replaced by a table unit 24. The frame members 12 of table unit 24 and of chair unit 11 are of the above construction and are similarly oriented with the main leg sections 14 being lowermost. Table unit 24 is provided with a table top 26 of any desired configuration, which rests upon and is suitably secured to the diagonal bars 12. Coupling members 21 connect a pair of adjacent main leg sections 14 of the units 11 and 24 and are separately aifixed to one of said leg sections and rotatably register with the other leg section.

While there has been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. An improved composite article of furniture comprising a chair unit including a first frame member provided with a support platform defined by a pair of connected intersecting diagonal members and rectangularly disposed vertical cylindrical leg-defining first posts deending from the ends of said diagonal members and projecting above the elevation thereof, a complementary furniture un-it including a second frame member similar to said first frame member and inverted relative thereto and provided with four second vertical posts, one of said second posts being disposed adjacent to one of said first posts, a pair of vertically spaced coupling members separably rotatably joining said adjacent posts and each including a pair of peripherally joined collar elements registering with said corresponding adjacent posts, and means releasably afiixing one of said collar members to a corresponding post.

2. A composite article of furniture in accordance with claim 1 including a receptacle supported by the diagonal members of said second frame member.

3. A composite article of furniture in accordance with claim 1, wherein said collar releasable fixing means includes a lock screw registering with a corresponding tapped radial bore formed in said corresponding collar.

4. A composite article of furniture comprising a pair of furniture units, each of said furniture units being provided with an invertable frame member including a support platform defined by a pair of connected intersecting horizontal diagonal members and rectangularly disposed vertical cylindrical leg-defining posts affixed to the free ends of said diagonal members and projecting above and below said platform to respective upper and lower common levels whereby the respective ends of said posts alternatively define foot ends, a post of one of said frame members being adjacent to a post of another of said frame members, and coupling members separably rotatably joining said adjacent posts.

5. A composite article of furniture comprising a pair of furniture units, each of said furniture units being provided with an invertable frame member including a support platform and rectangularly disposed vertical cylindrical leg-defining posts affixed to the peripheral border of said platform and projecting above and below said platform to respective upper and lower common levels whereby the respective ends of said posts alternatively define foot ends, a post of one of said frame members being adjacent to a post of another of said frame members and coupling members separably joining said adjacent posts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 182,591 I-Iirtle Apr. 22, 1958 162,707 Spencer Apr. 27, 1875 819,305 McLewee May 1, 1906 866,522 Scanlon Sept. 17, 1907 1,273,354 Ganzel July 23, 1918 2,016,850 Bitterman Oct. 8, 1935 2,658,553 Stewart Nov. 10, 1953 

1. AN IMPROVED COMPOSITE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE COMPRISING A CHAIR UNIT INCLUDING A FIRST FRAME MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A SUPPORT PLATFORM DEFINED BY A PAIR OF CONNECTED INTERSECTING DIAGONAL MEMBERS AND RECTANGULARLY DISPOSED VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL LEG-DEFINING FIRST POSTS DEPENDING FROM THE ENDS OF SAID DIAGONAL MEMBERS AND PROJECTING ABOVE THE ELEVATION THEREOF, A COMPLEMENTARY FURNITURE UNIT INCLUDING A SECOND FRAME MEMBER SIMILAR TO SAID FIRST FRAME MEMBER AND INVERTED RELATIVE THERETO AND PROVIDED WITH FOUR SECOND VERTICAL POSTS, ONE OF SAID SECOND POSTS BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID FIRST POSTS, A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED COUPLING MEMBERS SEPARABLY ROTATABLY JOINING SAID ADJACENT POSTS AND EACH INCLUDING A PAIR OF PERIPHERALLY JOINED COLLAR ELEMENTS REGISTERING WITH SAID CORRESPONDING ADJACENT POSTS, AND MEANS RELEASABLY AFFIXING ONE OF SAID COLLAR MEMBERS TO A CORRESPONDING POST. 